Guapo's Restaurant — Restaurant in Washington

I am absolutely outraged by the disgraceful experience I had at Guapo’s Restaurant in Washington, D.C. My friend and I deliberately chose a table under the shade in a quiet corner outside, hoping for a pleasant meal. What we got instead was a blatant display of discrimination and utter disregard for our presence.

A white couple sitting next to us casually requested the umbrella that was covering our table, and without a second thought, the waiter took it upon themselves to move the umbrella to their table. Not only did they do this without asking if it was okay, but they also had the audacity to look me in the eye and smile as if this was some sort of joke. The disrespect and prejudice in their actions were clear and undeniable.

To make matters worse, after the umbrella was moved, the sun was beaming directly into my face, completely ruining our experience. We immediately brought this to the general manager’s attention, and instead of rectifying the situation, he simply offered to move us to another table. We refused to move because we had specifically chosen that table for the view and the shade it provided. Why should we be forced to move when we did nothing wrong?

The general manager then said he would find another umbrella for us, but instead of doing so immediately, he first sent one of his waiters back to us to try to get us to move once again. We refused, standing our ground, but by then, the damage had already been done. I couldn’t even peacefully enjoy my food afterward—the entire experience was ruined. Most of the food was left uneaten because I was so upset, and what could have been an enjoyable meal was completely spoiled.

I can say with confidence that if a Hispanic or African American customer had requested the umbrella from a white couple’s table, it would never have been moved. So why was it done to me? I have never felt more disrespected and unwelcome in a restaurant in my life. This experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I can’t help but feel that this treatment was deliberate and targeted. Guapo’s Restaurant needs to take a long, hard look at how they treat their customers, especially those who aren’t given the basic respect they deserve.

I demand that the management addresses this issue immediately and takes corrective actions against the staff involved. This kind of behavior should never be tolerated, and I won’t stop until I see tangible changes. If this is how Guapo’s treats its customers, they deserve every bit of the negative attention...

We were a party of three, two of whom have extensive experience working in luxury hospitality, particularly myself in F&B departments. I would like to encourage our server to approach every table with the same high standards, whether serving three guests or six to eight.

We had to wait a bit and speak with a server to order, but Fernanda did approach us first and was very attentive and made sure we had drinks and chips before our server arrived. When our server, Alejandra arrived she was pleasant at first and we order the guacamole and and a pitcher of margarita (which to us hospitality professionals means that we do not plan on being here for a short time). We finished the chips that Fernanda gave us before the guacamole came because it took a while and we asked the runner for extra chips, which never arrived. Alejandra was also never to be found as I had to go find the manager to order just the appetizer for our table. Moments before our appetizer arrived Alejandra finally showed up to take our order and we told her we order already and she almost put a second order but thankfully the food runner showed up with our order. At that time we asked for additional sauces while waiting for Alejandra to take our order for the second course; however, she did not do so. Her attention was on two other tables with more than five guests. At this point, I want to commend Fernanda, (Congratulations) who handled our concern efficiently and attentively, demonstrating excellent guest anticipation (Forbes standards). However, the communication between the food runner and the server was clearly lacking, highlighting an area for improvement in FOH operations.

Ultimately, we decided not to order a second course due to the extended wait and the extra chips we did not request. When Alejandra returned to our table, she asked if we would like to split the bill among three, in a noticeably conditional manner. This was not our intention. Our goal was to enjoy a new venue with a personalized, elevated experience, but instead, the service reflected what commonly happens in the industry when clear standards are not consistently applied.

Additionally our friend we brought had talked to the manager about our experience and he told her that she can tip Fernanda in cash and that there is nothing he can do. Clearly the service is not only lacking but so is the leadership which explains the lack of care of this place that has...

Why the change? I havnt been to guapos in a while, but I was craving chicken fajitas and margaritas and decided to stop by here. I will admit I was disappointed. I remember when guapos used to serve you thick juicy cuts of chicken breast with a little bit of skin on it still. They brought with it a side of soft, just the right fluffy flour tortillas. And the way the chicken used to be cooked was so delicious. And it was all delivered to you on a hot sizzling dish still smoking and it popped at you. When you walked by the restaurant or just sat there you can smell the trays walking by and it made your mouth watery and made you more hungry.

Now after some years I come back and ordered the same chicken fajita dish but not not only was it delivered on a room temperature plate with a flat piece of dry thin chicken breast strips, but the tortillas were also not comforting like they used to be either. And they only give you 3 and charge you more if you ask instead of not making a big deal about giving you a few extra.

We ordered some margaritas too and that didn’t hit the spot either. They just poured the liquor on top ice and served. I don’t think they poured it in a shaker and shook it with the enthusiasm a margarita deserves.

Now given how the food and drinks didn’t hit the spot, and that they changed for the worse, and ruined a good system they used to have, I’d rate guapos a 1 or 2 star. But because the service was exceptional, I have to give them a higher rating.

The staff is super friendly and pleasant to deal with. I love how nice, responsive, and easy they were. We really appreciated that. Awesome people.

I hope the leadership of this restaurant takes this constructive criticism in consideration to turn things back to the way they used to be. Im pretty sure more people feel the same. Let’s bring...